What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Freedom and Religion
The United States of America was founded on firm ideals of both the pursuit of happiness and a spirit of reverence. Through a close reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The May-Pole of Merry Mount," you can examine what some consider was a...
Curated OER
The Settlement of New England
A thorough exploration of the Puritan Migration and settlement of Plymouth, this presentation is sure to engage your young historians with its clear maps and historical documents. The presentation differentiates the philosophies of...
Curated OER
Why Vote?
Students design a ballot slip for student voting. They create a slogan and political brochure.
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact
Fourth graders explore the events leading up to the Mayflower Compact. In this government lesson, 4th graders have a teacher-led class discussion on the importance of government, then complete a worksheet on the topic.
Curated OER
Rules, Rules, Rules
Fourth graders create their classroom rules. In this Mayflower Compact lesson, 4th graders listen to the Plymouth story and learn about the Mayflower Compact. Students analyze the Mayflower Compact and create a class compact of...
Curated OER
Volunteering Requires Freedom of Choice
Young scholars explore ways to volunteer. In this volunteerism and philanthropy lesson, students brainstorm how the early Americans benefited from philanthropy, then discuss how others benefit from our philanthropy and how we choose ways...
Curated OER
Mayflower Compact
Students explore the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact. They practice these concepts by examining the school rules.
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact
Students explore the concept of social contracts. In this Mayflower Compact lesson, students read handouts regarding the compact and participate in a classroom activity that requires them to author a social contract.
Curated OER
Settling the Plymouth Colony
Students use the Internet and graphic organizers to research the Plymouth Colony the experience of the Pilgrims. Students compare and contrast different colonies and develop a timeline showcasing their research.
Curated OER
Foundations of the Constitution
Eighth graders explore the Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact.
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact Started It
Learners examine the role the Mayflower Compact had in aiding the common good. They analyze the importance of the Compact and what affect it had on the colony. They write a paper summarizing how they interpreted the Compact itself.
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact
Middle schoolers use primary source documents to discuss the Mayflower Compact and the story of the first Thanksgiving. They discover how the Pilgrims were influenced in developing a community and American democracy.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: British Reluctantly Yield
Discusses development of representative government especially in the New England colonies.
Yale University
Avalon Project: Mayflower Compact 1620
Read the actual words of these earliest Americans and their attempt at self-government with the writing of the Mayflower Compact. Link directly to other colonial charter pages.
University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Law Center: Mayflower Compact
Provides the full text of the Mayflower Compact, the first written framework of government in what is now the United States.
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: Colonial Lit: William Bradford and of Plymouth Plantation
This lesson focuses on William Bradford and his Of Plymouth Plantation, a history of the Plymouth Colony. It features a short biography of William Bradford including his trip to America on the Mayflower and being elected long-term...
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Colonists: What Were They Thinking?
This tutorial looks at the British political traditions that influenced the American colonists as they gained their independence from Britain and created their own form of government. A PDF file of the tutorial is available.
University of Maryland
Howard County Public School System: Foundations of American Government [Pdf]
How was the foundation of today's representative democracy established in early colonial America? Students will be able to source three documents and corroborate evidence to draw conclusions about the development of democratic ideas and...
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Settlement of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies
In this lesson, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the New England colonies and the role that religion played in shaping them. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on the...
iCivics
I Civics: Colonial Influences
Where did the American colonists get their ideas that lead to a revolution and a whole new kind of government? This lesson explores the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, English Bill of Rights, Cato's Letters, and Common Sense.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Emergence of Colonial Government
Detailed essay which shows how colonial self-government developed prior to the Revolutionary War.
This Nation
This nation.com: Mayflower Compact
This site provides the full text of the agreement between the settlers at New Plymouth, 1620.
Read Works
Read Works: American Government the Mayflower Compact
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Mayflower Compact, why it was written, and how it paved the way for democracy. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony
Read a brief description of the Pilgrims' journey to North America. Find out how many travelers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims, and find out why a mistake in navigation led to the first written constitution in the New World.